Rock Tassel Fern

Huperzia squarrosa is native to West Indian Ocean (Madagascar; Mauritius, Seychelles), South China, Taiwan, Indochina, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia (Queensland), Pacific (Micronesia, French Polynesia, Fiji). It is the most beautiful species among Huperzia species which is cultivated as an ornamental plant hanging in lawns, gardens, arboreta, corridors, verandas, greenhouses, etc. People in North Sumatra often take this plant from the forest for traditional purposes, while the Karo people use it for "winds" (casting out demons of freeing themselves from the influence of witchcraft). This plant also has potential as a medicinal herb that can be used to treat malfunction of nerve cells.

Leishang (Manipur-India).

Found in moist forests and rainforests at high altitudes in and amongst mosses and other angiospermic epiphytes. Sometimes, it also grows in terrestrial and lithophytic condition including moist infertile soils in and around swamps and depressions. Relatively slow-growing. Prefers bright shade for good growth - avoid exposing to full sun, which can result in bleached foliage. Does not tolerate normal soil - use well-drained, well-aerated but moisture-retaining soilless media such as orchid or pine bark, or sphagnum moss-compost mixes. Likes high humidity, withstands some amount of dryness but do subject to prolonged drought. According to growers' accounts, plants reportedly grow faster when grown over ponds. Provide good air circulation to minimize pest attack, eg. infestation by scale insects (especially fern scales), which cause tissue-yellowing and can result in death of stems or entire plant. 

• Rhizomes extension of stem performing the function of root for attachment to substrate and acquisition of nutrients, water and retain moisture, true roots present in aerial stem portion only.
• Stem - thin (4 mm across), brownish when older, pendulous, up to 60 cm long, branching regularly dichotomous and isotomous.
• Leaves - frondlets pale to yellowish green, narrowly-linear and bristle-like, whorled at 60-90° along stem axis, microphyllous, crowded, spirally arranged, not imbricated, monomorphic, linear, upto 1.5 × 0.1 cm, juvenile leaves mostly larger than mature leaves, sharplyacute, entire, rigid, coriaceous, shining, veins simple with no branches or unions, extended to middle portion.
• Sporophylls - nearly isomorphous with vegetative leaves; strobili 5-15 cm, sessile, terminal, sporangium exposed, distinguishable into stalk and capsule, uni-locular, raised on a short stalk, reniform in shaped, loosely arranged in whorl of 5 or 6 in number, borne individually at adaxial base of un-modified leaves, every sporophyll supplied from the stele of stem by single trace, dehiscence of sporangium preceded by elongation of internodes of central axis,sporo-phylls spreading out and exposing sporangia, dehiscing along a transverse slit on upper surface, disseminated by wind.
• Spores - uni-cellular, enclosed within a thick spore wall, light yellow in colour, average size of 29 × 30 µm, trilete in nature, sub-triangular in outline with rounded angles.
• Bulblets (gemmae) - formed at base of upper fronds during end of each annual growth cycle.

• Generative propagation is by spores.
• Vegetative propagation is by stem cutting, rhizome division, and layering. 
• For stem cuttings, remove apical sections (5-15 cm) from stock plant, lay horizontally on well-drained soilless media, and cover cut ends with moist media - this can be done inside terrariums to maintain humidity. Upward-turning shoot tips are ideal materials for stem cuttings. Simple layering of stems from rooted plants are said to be much easier to root. New shoots should emerge from cutting mix in 6-15 months, and can be potted up when they reach 5 cm height.

Alkaloids (Huperzine A, Huperzine B, N-methyl-huperzine B, Huperzinine, Lycoporine A, Carina-tumine A).

• It is used to treat several of brain malfunction, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease.
• It is used in the treatment of bruises, swelling, schizophrenia, myasthenia gravis, as an aphrodisiac, sores, bruises, skin problems, and back pain.